Locking nut



A. B. MORSE.

LOCKING NUT. APPLICATION FILED MAY 6. 192].

. ATTORNEY.

ALFRED B. MORSE, OF SOUTH EASTOIN, IVKASSILCHUSETT5, ASSIGNGR, BY MES-NE ASSIGNMENTS, '10 JULIA A. MORSE, 0F SOUTH EASIEON, MASSACH'EFSETTS.

LOCKING NUT.

Original applicaton filed February 24, 1920, Serial No.

May 6, 1921.. Serial No. 467,239.

1 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED B. Monsn, a citizen of the United States, and resident of South Easton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Looking Nuts, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts.

My present invention is an improved construotion of locking nut and is a divisional of my prior application Ser. No. 360,930, filed February 24, 1920. In the present application and the attached-drawings I have illustrated my invention as applied to a locking nut arrangement in connection with a universal joint, the said prior application being directed to cover my novel, arrangement of universal joint construction wherein the present novel type of locking nut is utilized.

' An important feature of the present invention consists in the provision of means on the member to which the nut is applied, as well. as on the interior of the nut itself, of cooperating devices adapted to receive, hold and lock the nut in its adjusted position. I prefer to employ a ring, preferably a spring or wirelike member, arranged to encircle a portion of the hub or member to which the nut is applied, having a part, end or ends of the spring member rigidly secured to or anchored in the hub or member and to provide the nut with interior recesses, such for example as the angular por tions of an'octagonal flange which will successfully register with a portion of the sprin ring or member. This arrangement permits the locking of the nut at each suc- ('essive one-eighth turn, when a predetermined. portion of the spring member interlocks with the angular-part where the octagonal sides are joined, and aliords an instant, ready and fine adjustment of the nut on its threads for the locking engagement. Furthermore, by having the coop erating recessed or octagonal portion of the nut formed as a flange and on a part only of the nut, the threading action can be effected until the nut is practlcally turned home and then the locking, cooperating portions will engage and continue in engagement until the nut is in desired position.

Furthermore this locking provision is concealed and protected from water, dust, dirt Specification of Letters Patent.

PatcritedAu 29, 1922.

886,930. Divided andthis application filed or exterior interference and is also protected from view, thus preventing anv accidental disengagement of the locking dev ces. Furthermore, my construction permits of a ready unlocking and removal of the nut, spring and assembled portions, such removal and unlocking in no way impairing the eliiciency ot the locking members, but enabling them to be in condition at all times for further locking or subsequent use.

As shown in the attached drawings, the nut locking device and hub are illustrated n connection with the forcing of a packing member arranged around one part of a shaft in my improved universal joint construction, but the locking nut arrangement per se is not so limited, but may be of wide adaptation and use.

Referring to the drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal view of the look ing nut, partly in cross section, attached to a hub or member;

Fig. 2 is a View of: thespring ring; and

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line 3-3-3 of Fig. 1.

As the present application is a divisional of my said prior application I have utilized the same reference characters, so far as possible, in the attached drawing, as appear in my said parent application, but it will be run derstood that the locking feature IS not thus limited.

Referring to the drawings, 4-2 illustrates a shaft or hub of one member, 44 being a cooperating member adapted to rotate within the member 42 and a liquid tight packing 53 being provided to prevent oil or other lubricant from escaping, in this particular embodiment of the invention the locking 'nut 50 being adapted to engage, hold and compress the packing material 58 against the conical face 48 on the end of the member 122. The packing nut 50 comprises a suitable shell or portion having its inner diameter threaded to cooperate with the threaded portion 49 of the member 42., In the particular embodiment herein shown I have formed the end. or head of the nut 50 with a beveled face 52, substantially on the same bevel or angle as the beveled end face 48 of the member 42, in order to cooperate therewith and compress the packing material 53 against the surface of the shaft 44. This, however, is entirely optional and is only for the specific purpose herein shown rice;

of forcing the packing material against the shaft as shown in the drawings.

The member 42 has formed thereon a circumferential groove 54, adapted to receive a packing ring 65, having its ends 56 fitting in adjacent bored recesses 55, 55, in the member 4:2 and at any desired point throughout the groove 54. The ring 65 has itsend parts 56 bent substantially at right angles to fit in the recesses 55, thus holding the ring 65 in non-rotatable engagement with the hub 42, while permitting an expansion and contraction of the rest of the ring 65. Substantially at the point opposite the bent end portions is a kink or curve 5'7, the entire ring 65 being of slightly greater diameter han that of the groove 54 in which it lies and therefore affording a substantial expansion and contraction of the ring within said groove.

The nut50 has formed on its lower or open portions an enlarged octagonal or angular flange 58, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. This flange also being spaced su'liiciently to cooperate with the spring ring 65 and engage the same as the nut 50 is rotated near its final desired position. The curved part 5. of the ring is also of suit-able form and eX- tent to cooperate with the angles made by the octagonal sides of the flange 58 and fits snugly within the recesses afforded by the junction of each of such octagonal sides. Any other number of angular faces, or a series of similar recesses in the flanged portion 58 of the nut can be employed to cooperate with said curve or kink 5'7, and hold the same after the nut has been rotated sufliciently to engage these parts. The ring 50 springing the curved portion 57 into one of the angles, will serve to effect the locking action and hold the nut against unturning and loosening. In order to protect the locking ring and member against dust, dirt or damage and preserve its spring tension intact, I prefer to entirely enclose that portion of the member 42 containing the same and to this end provide a collar or ringlike part around the member and extend the flange 58 by a further round flange part 66 which will overlap and slide upon the collar 60 as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Thus, as the nut 50 is rotated upon the threaded end portion 4:9 and member 42 it will be freely turned until the outermost flange 66 slides over the collar 60 and at about this time the octagonal portion will engage the part 57 on the spring ring and effect the locking action, continued rotation of the nut 49 until in desired position maintaining the same at all times in a locking engagement at every eighth turn. The spring 65 cannot be readily displaced because it is fitting within the grooove 54, as well as being retained by the ends 56 within the secesses 55. I

Removal of the nut 50 can be readily and easily effected without injury to the looking members and when removed the locking devices are uninjured, can be utilized for renewing the locking engagement at any time and will be maintained in condition indefinitely, because of the protecting and concealing covering afforded by the flanges 5S and 66 and collar 60. Any number of faces in place of the octagonal flange 58 as here shown can be substituted or a plurality of recesses adapted to cooperate withthe portion 57 of the spring 65 can be employed.

My invention is further described and delined in the form of claims as follows:

1. An improved locking device comprising a rotatable multi-recessed socket, a spring ring stationary with respect thereto and provided with a portion adapted to be engaged by one of said recesses.

2. An improved nut locking device comprising a rotatable multi-sided socket, a spring ring stationary with respect thereto and provided with a projection spring held in the angle defined by adjacent faces of the multi-sided socket.

3. An improved nut locking device comprising a relatively stationary threaded sup port, a hollow interiorily threaded packing nut engaging the threads on said support and having a plurality of flat faces thereon defining an interior multi-sided socket, a circumferential groove on said support, a spring ring having an outwardly extending projection in said groove and held against rotative movement on the support, said projection being forced into the groove against the resiliency of said ring as the same engaged by the flat faces of said socket in the rotation of the packing nut, and being forced into the angle defined by adjacent faces of said socket to lock the packing nut in any desired position against rotation.

4. An improved nut locking device com prising a rotatable multi-recessed socket, a spring ring stationary with respect thereto and provided with a portion adapted to be engaged by one of said recesses, said spring being held in an enclosing protecting recess.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ALFRED e. MOESE. 

